What are we doing?

 

In February 2014, as part of an all-female team, I will be climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in order to raise money for Wellbeing of Women (WoW); a fantastic UK-based charity which is run by one of my friends.

 

Members of the team are paying all costs associated with the climb and therefore 100% of everything you donate will go directly to the WoW

 

The goal of the Wellbeing of Women Music & Mountains Kilimanjaro climb, is to reach the 5895m/19,341ft summit, collectively raising £25,000 for Wellbeing of Women. We will be climbing via the spectacular Rongai route, beginning our adventure in rainforest, passing through alpine tundra and eventually reaching the barren world of the summit crater itself!

 

Wellbeing of Women is a charity dedicated to improving the health of women and babies across the UK. Since 1964 it has raised millions of pounds, with which it has funded much-needed research into crucial female health issues such as miscarriage, stillbirth, gynaecological cancers, endometriosis, menopause and urinary incontinence. 

 

It has been instrumental in developing many of the women’s health services that are now taken for granted including cervical cancer screening, IVF, vitamin supplements during pregnancy, pre-natal ultrasound scans, foetal screening to detect abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome, and epidural anaesthesia during childbirth.

 

 

Why Help?

 

At least 1 in 2 women will suffer from at least one reproductive or gynaecological health problem, so WoW helps tackle problems which affect everyone.

 

Some shocking statistics:

* 17 babies a day die in the UK at or near birth (they are either stillborn or die shortly after birth)
* 145 women a week in the UK die of a gynaecological cancer
* 2 million women suffer from endometriosis; an extremely painful condition
* 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage

* Fertility problems are estimated to affect one in six or one in seven couples in the UK (approx 3.5 million people) - 48,147 women underwent IVF treatment in 2011

 

 

About me

 

I am a 37 year old doctor living and working in Oxfordshire. Born in Scotland, I spent my formative years in The Highlands before moving South to London and Winchester to complete my education. I went to medical school at Bart’s and The London and was as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in the East End of London before moving to leafy Oxfordshire, where I now work in Accident and Emergency.

 

Climbing Kilimanjaro has been a lifelong dream for me and I am extremely proud to be able to raise money for such an effective charity that does so much important work. I am a novice at mountain climbing but started my training months ago and am confident that I have the stamina and mental fortitude to complete the challenge.

 

I hope that you will be able to support me by donating towards this charity but also by sharing this page with your family and friends. 

 

I will be refreshing my page regularly with training and fundraising updates, so please check regularly for the latest information…

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.